


Denial

by StarGirl235



Series: Torchwood Files [1]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarGirl235/pseuds/StarGirl235
Summary: 𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌. 𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉. 𝐼 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉.𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹.
Relationships: Owen Harper/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Torchwood Files [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162001
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. This Is My Secret

_"My life hasn't made sense for a very long time Jack. But there's someone you know that can give me those answers."_

_"Who?"_

_"You know who do I need to spell it out for you?"_

**DISCLAIMER**

I do not own Torchwood or it's characters they belong to the BBC. Just own my OC Paige Williams. Plot belongs to me so please don't steal.

**NOTE 📝**

I apologise for grammar or plot mistakes in advance. Don't begin pointing it out because I know it's there and will come back to it at a later date. This story is based in the Doctor Who spin off Torchwood.

  
**WARNING⚠️**

Swearing, crude language & sexual content.

(Well of course their will be after all that's Torchwood for you.)

**CAST**

Natalie Dormer as Paige Williams

John Barrowman as Jack Harkness

Naoko Mori as Toshiko Sato

Burn Gorman as Owen Harper

Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper

Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones

**PLAYLIST**

Wide Awake - Katy Perry

Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Set Fire to the Rain - Adele

3am - Busted

Heart Attack - Demi Lovato

Denial - Sugababes

_"It's just sex that's all it is, and now..."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Then why do I feel like this thing between_

_us...is become something else."_

* * *

You would think looking at me that I'm regular as they come, a pretty blonde in a tight-fitting smart black dress heels equally red as my nails as they clacked away from the press of my fingers upon the keyboard. My tired eyes glued to the screen as they bore into it, watching the words appear.

The way you'd think I'm talking is that I'm probably stuck in some dead end office job. But the kind of job I do was nothing that you considered on the terms of "normal" should I say. Because who I work for, they work beyond everyone, and everything and they are called Torchwood.

A secret agency who specialised in alien life on Earth. Something that I used to be sceptical of. But it was on one fateful day on a trip to London with college, that I witnessed a UFO crashing into Big Ben. That day had changed my beliefs completely. This is where I had found myself again a few years later as a researcher, in that very same city at the Torchwood Institute. I had made myself a few good friends there along with the likes of Ianto Jones and Lisa Hallett.

But here I am now a month later at Torchwood Three in Cardiff after the Battle of Canary Wharf, me and Ianto having managed to escape the massacre along with Lisa who almost got completely converted into a Cyberman, she hadn't long since become his girlfriend. At first, I had told him that it was a crazy idea hiding her down in the basement, after all the ass-kissing we both had to do for our new boss Captain Jack Harkness for him to let us work here.

"A body has been found by the police," Suzie announced, "Another stabbing," now breaking me from my thoughts, I glanced up from the endless paperwork, Jack insisted myself and Ianto get typed up and filed away.

"Team, let's go!" called out to the rest of the Hub, snapping up that magnificent coat of his as he charges out his office before pointing in my direction, "Paige, get back to that paperwork!"

"Oh, boy paperwork how exciting," I returned sarcastically clapping my hands and plastering on a smile. This is all the excitement I get after nearly being here for almost a month and the only exciting thing I had learnt was how to shoot a gun. Which on my part, Jack had been rather distracting when helping to get my aim right. I know that there's so much more I could do than sit behind a desk all day and be a pretty thing to look at, bring coffees, fetching files and do research all day.

"Can either you or Ianto call the police to let them know we're on the way?"

"Of course, sir," I confirmed with a nod, standing up from the desk I shared with Ianto, "And I'll have those notes and necessary paperwork prepared for your conference call with UNIT."

"That a girl," he returns one of his stunning smiles, before darting his eyes around the Hub, "Where's Ianto?"

"Archives I think, sir," I responded quickly with the first excuse that came to me, just so I could cover my best friends backside for him to probably go scurrying off down into the basement to check on Lisa.

"Okay, keep up the good work," he praises me before charging off with the others, leaving me alone in the silence of the Hub.

"Just doing my job, sir," it uttered to myself walking back towards my desk, grabbing hold of my silver headset and placing it on over my head.

**-Torchwood-**

I sat idly before Tosh's desk, the many screens of live CCTV footage watching over the very crime scene that had not long been reported, a young man who had been stabbed in the back. This was the third one to happen within a space of ten days within the same manner which I found particularly strange. But tonight the weather wasn't exactly in everyone's favour, it was pissing absolute buckets. Ianto had now been back from his trip to the basement, keeping watch of the traffic cams at our desk.

"Paige, any updates on the crime scene?" Jack inquired into my ear.

"The coppers are just standing around having a good old and the SOCO's are still at the scene, sir."

"Ianto traffic update."

"Traffic is clear, sir," I hear Ianto respond to Jack.

"Paige give them another call, let them know we're coming."

I click on the radio frequency program, "SOCO's clear the crime scene, Torchwood are on arrival, I repeat Torchwood are on arrival," at that moment a brunette Police Officer catches my eye who began to question the dismissal.

"Have they cleared up yet?" the annoying voice of our resident doctor Owen complain, as I rolled my eyes. In all honesty, the man drove me bloody insane at times, even if we currently are fucking each other on a friends-with-benefits basis.

"No alright, one of the coppers got nosey about the SOCO's clearing off," I relayed back.

"Then get it sorted will you."

"Alright, alright," I bit back rather defensively, "I'm not your fucking slave Owen and would it actually to use some fucking manners!" I heard most of the crew snickering quietly in the background from the scolding I gave him. I reconnect to the radio program, "Move back, I repeat move back. Torchwood on route. Clear for special access."

"Road is clear now, sir," I hear Ianto update.

"Great job guys," Jack praises us, just as see the female police officer getting even more curious as the familiar all-black Landrover appeared on the screen.

"Shall I keep a close eye on the monitors, sir?" I ask, getting this little itch in the back of my mind that the female officer will be much more trouble than she's worth.

"Yeah, sure," Jack agrees.

**-Torchwood-**  
  


I watch those screens like a hawk in search of its prey, as the team stood gathered around the fresh corpse of the young dead man. Well technically right now he wasn't, as Suzie used that creepy glowing glove on him just like she had done with the other victims. But the only problem we had found out was that they only lived for about two minutes. I listen and watch on, the light almost blinding and the rain stopped falling. I see them trying to get what they could about the killer, only for them to fail.

"Coffee?" Ianto asked coming to stand beside me, holding a steaming mug of his delicious coffee that I love, "Seen anything yet?"

"Thanks, Yan," I graciously accepted the beverage from him and blew on it for a couple of seconds before taking a sip, "No noth..." instantly I put down my mug cutting the response short. I spot the officer from earlier taking a peek from nearby, "Sir, onlooker level 5 of the parking structure."

In that very moment Jack looked up to her and he asked her something before she legged it.

The team return to the Hub about half an hour later almost soaked to the bone, as I held a pile of warm fluffy towels in my arms and Ianto a tray of coffees.

"Those notes and that paperwork are on your desk ready for that UNIT call tomorrow, sir," I informed my boss passing him a towel.

"Good work," Jack expresses with approval, taking a coffee from the tray Ianto is still holding.

"Anything else you need, sir?" I call after him, just as Suzie and Tosh grab their towels from me.

"I can think of something you can do for me later sweetheart," Owen implies to with a cheeky grin on his lips, keeping his voice at a whisper as he went by me.

"We'll see about that," I return in the same manner, before handing him a towel and brush past him, sauntering back up the stairs swaying my hips.

Work was now over for the night and Owen had since joined me at my flat, having nothing a meaningless fuck to get it out of our system. But I knew there has to be some sort limit before it became more than just sex.

I had a premonition that night. Which this has been the first of many over the years. But this one chilled me to the very core.

The female officer from last night had been there, she had tears in her eyes as Suzie aimed a gun at her. Jack appeared out of nowhere and gets shot in the head.

Afterwards, I'd always wake up the same way, with a headache followed by the usual nosebleed. I've always kept track of these visions in journals and drawings in a sketch pad naming and dating it.

My hand drifted in the pocket of my emerald green silk dressing gown. The pads of my fingers feeling over the intricate symbols up the face of the locket. It had all started after I had turned thirteen, it had left my parents to search to get a diagnosis for my condition but yet it had left many Doctors baffled. So this was my secret, a gift I've tried to learn and accept after all these years.

Because nobody could know. Because nobody would understand it. I still don't understand it.

But maybe there was somebody out there who could.


	2. Gwen

I quickly stood up once hearing Owen's footsteps approaching from my flat hallway towards the open plan kitchen, living and dining room and tightly wrapping my green silk dressing gown around my body hiding the locket out of sight. The sketches of a dead Jack, the police officer from the CCTV and Suzie, not long been drawn laid open upon the coffee table. Hurriedly I gathered the sketchbook and journal into my arms, placing them inside a safe with many of my other sketchbooks and journals, hidden inside the exterior of my desk punching in the code and locking it.

Just as Owen showed up, I closed the door and casually walked across the room towards my kitchen. Flicking on the kettle, opened the cupboards above, taking out two mugs and opened the coffee canister.

"Morning, gorgeous," Owen greeted, lightly smacking my bottom and pecking my cheek.

"Morning," I returned, rolling my eyes, but enjoying the warmth his lips had left, "Could you please get the milk and a spoon."

Moving away, Owen went to the fridge, taking out the milk, closing it before fetching a spoon from a draw. He settled them beside me and next to the mugs now placing a spoonful of coffee into each, the kettle finished boiling with a click. I poured the hot water in, stirred them added the milk and gave them another mix.

"You were up early this morning," Owen mentioned with a tone of concern, taking the offered mug from my hand, watching me as he casually leant against the counter beside me.

"Had a nasty migraine that was keeping me awake all night," I simply state, knowing myself it was somewhat true, as I took a sip of coffee. Soon as I got a premonition, there were days I'd hardly sleep on end, being often haunted with the images of those I could never help or save.

"Paige, are you alright?" I hear Owen now asked, putting his mug down, breaking me from my thoughts, he went and stood before me taking my cup away, placing it beside his.

"Yeah I'm fine," I offered convincingly, his hands now cupping my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks.

For some reason, I liked seeing this side of Owen when were alone together, this caring yet conservative nature that I bring out of him. He brings my lips closer towards his...when suddenly the phone began to ring.

I quickly break away from him the moment now gone and dash across the room towards my desk picking up the phone, "Yes, sir. I'll be on my way, sir?"

I glanced over at Owen who had gone back to drinking his coffee but looked rather annoyed about having been interrupted, as he now asked me once I've put the phone down, "What's happening?"

"There's been a Weevil sighting over at one of the hospitals we better get going."

**-Torchwood-**

I tapped away with my red manicured nails on her keyboard, typing up a recent report for Jack to check over, the clacking of the keys echoing throughout the empty hub seeing as I'm the only one currently here. Since having lost to Ianto at 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' on who would drive the others over to the hospital. When am I ever going to get some proper action around here instead of sitting behind a desk looking pretty?

The announcement of the team returning via the private lift above ground clicked loudly as it lowered. Ianto appears just from the garage steps on the other side of the hub.

"Oi, Paige order us a pizza would ya?" Owen hollered across the room to me, rolling my eyes in disbelief.

"Do it yourself you lazy asshole I've got work to do," I snapped moodily back at him, grabbing the paper the report from the printer, "I'm not your fucking slave," I placed the document into a folder before getting up.

Wandering past Tosh I come to a halt as something catches my eye, I leaned over her shoulder to peer at the security screen, "I've got a feeling that female copper is going to be more trouble than she's worth, sir."

I heard Jack's heavy boots from behind as he came looking over the other side of Tosh to have a look at the screen as well, "Paige do some research on our police officer see what you can find out about her."

"I'll get right on it, sir," I complied with a nod, before passing him over the folder in my hand, "Here's that report you wanted as well."

"What would I do without you and Ianto being here, huh?" Jack asked me with a flirtatious grin.

"You'd probably crash and burn without us around, sir," I returned with a knowing smirk, feeling his eyes on me as I sauntered away with a sway of my hips. Not having noticed Owen had been watching our exchange from the med bay.

**-Torchwood-**

I had now since completed the research of the female police officer, going towards Jack's office and wrapping my knuckles against the open door. Of course, Jack has been the most handsome man I've ever had the opportunity to meet or work with, how could any man or woman not be attracted to him. Especially with those piercing sea-blue eyes that probably could look straight through you, the eyes that would likely soon be empty and lifeless just like in my drawing. When all I can do is stand by and do nothing without uttering the truth or giving myself away.

"Paige?" he called, instantly breaking my trance and properly look him in the eye, "You ok?"

I shook my head before approaching his desk, "I'm fine, sir, just get lost in my head sometimes."

"Ok, so what have you got for me?"

"That information for the police officer you wanted," I held the file out before him.

"Thanks, Paige," Jack accepting it graciously with a smile before I nodded and turned to leave. Not have seen the worrisome look on his face after I had left.

**-Torchwood-**

"Jack, our police officer, is back this time with pizza," Tosh announced from her workstation at around eight-thirty that evening, making all of us in the room stop what we were doing and look up.

"My God that woman just won't quit will she," Paige offered, shaking her head.

"Obviously not," Jack said, coming out of his office, "Paige, Ianto one of you go and greet our curious policewoman."

Ianto and I shared similar looks of annoyance, neither of us liked doing the Tourist Office bit when it came to people getting far too nosey about Torchwood for their own good. But it had to be done.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Ianto suggested with a shrug.

Suzie stopped what she was doing looking over at us and disbelievingly scoffed, "Rather childish, don't you think?"

"Come on, Suzie, just let them get on with it," Jack said, leaning against the doorway of his office.

"Exactly, I don't see you going up there and doing it," I gestured towards the doorway that leads up to the Tourist Office, before turning back to Ianto, "Ok let's just get this over with."

Standing opposite Ianto, we held out their hands flat before each other, "Rock, paper, scissors!"

"Ha! I win!" I cheered my hand in now shaped into rock over Ianto's scissors, who let out a sigh of defeat before walking towards the doorway.

**-Torchwood-**  
  


It was a couple of moments later that the police officer that I had learned about from my research earlier went by the name Gwen Cooper entered through into the hub once the cog door had rolled shut behind her as we all tried to play it cool as possible. I peered up to take a glance at her for a couple of seconds, only to have a brief look at the woman, her hair was a dark chocolate brown along with a straight fringe. Yet I already knew what she looked like from the cameras, my vision of Jack's murder and a sketch of her. But yet, the very woman who would kill him was in this same room wearing a welder's mask, as I quickly returned my eyes to the screen before me acting like it was customary for Gwen to be here.

Owen suddenly catches my eye and began to giggle only for it to become full-blown laughter, followed by Tosh and then myself as I turned to face Gwen fully

"I can't do this. I'm sorry," Owen continued laughing, raising his hands in mock surrender, "I'm rubbish. I give up."

I gestured to myself and Tosh before pointing to Owen, "He set us both off."

"Yes he did," Tosh agreed with slightly giggling.

Suzie lifted her mask and inspected her watch, "Well, that lasted nought point two seconds."

"Hmm," Owen hummed with delight, "She's actually carrying pizza."

"Come on," Jack offered with a smirk coming out of his office, voicing the most obvious scenario, "She was going to say here's your pizza, and I was going to say, how much? And she says, oh, whatever, twenty quid, and I say, oh, I don't have any money. I was working on a punchline. I'd have got there. But it would've been good," he now casually leant against the wall noticing his eyes wandering over Gwen.

"There's your pizza. I think I'd better go," she offers to put it down and about to make her escape.

"I think we've gone past that stage," Jack implies with a severe tone.

"You must've been freezing out there," Suzie mentions to her, "How long were you walking around? Three hours?"

"You could see me?" Gwen asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"And before we go any further," Jack turned to us that were working at our stations looking rather annoyed, "Who the hell orders pizza under the name of Torchwood?"

Sheepishly Owen raised his hand ever so slightly, "Er yeah, that'd be me. I'm sorry. I'm a twat."

"Oh, that's something we can all agree on," I stated with a nod.

Gwen now stared at Jack, "That man at the hospital, that porter, what happened to him? That was real, wasn't it? He was attacked..."

"He's dead," Jack simply offered.

"But there's no one gone missing," Gwen insisted.

"We took the body, retrospectively changed the work rota, planted a false witness who saw him leaving the hospital, giving him an alibi for the next forty-eight hours," I hear Tosh explain from behind me, as Gwen turned in her direction, "So when his body's pulled out of the docks next Tuesday night, he's only been missing for three days."

"He was murdered," Gwen muttered.

"Yes," Tosh confirmed.

"And you covered it up," Gwen continued to enquire.

"That's my job," Tosh responded bluntly.

"And that other man," her gaze returned to Jack, "John Tucker? Last night in the alleyway, I saw you."

"And what did you see?" my boss asked in response.

"You revived him."

"No," he responded, watching her closely with his eyes, "What did you see?"

"You resuscitated him," Gwen hazards a guess, to me she looked somewhat uncertain as to why she was here as she glanced at the ground.

"No," Jack states more firmly to her, "What did you see?"

Gwen was looking Jack in the eye again, gathering some courage for the next words that'd come out of her mouth, "You brought him back to life."

Jack confirmed with a nod, "Yeah."

"Who-who are you?" she stuttered slightly, her eyes peering at every one of us if trying to sus us all out.

"Torchwood," Jack tells her, being a little dramatic about it makes me roll my eyes in disbelief and smirk in amusement.

"What's Torchwood?" Gwen pushed, a tell that she was now interested in wanting to know more.

"This is Torchwood," Jack tells her, "All around you."

"And what happens to me?" Gwen now asked with caution, afraid we were going to do something to her, "I'm police. Constable Gwen Cooper. You can't do anything."

"Right then," Jack straightened up and took a step forward, "PC Cooper. Do you want to come see?"

"See what?" Gwen asked as I noticed the internal battle she was facing just to step back and walk away.

"You saw the murder," only for Jack to coax her with nothing but a calming demeanour, "Come and see the murderer."

I see her hesitation in her eyes just as Jack walked away towards where the Weevils are kept, only as Suzie offered some words of encouragement, "Go with him."

With that, she put down the pizza and goes following after hearing her asking Jack question after question, "What is Torchwood? Who are you? What is this place?"

There's screeching from and the flapping of massive wings overhead as I see Gwen instinctively duck in fear her, mouth gaping open slightly, "What was that?"

"Pterodactyl," I simply offered with a shrug, acting like it was nothing unusual for any of us working here.

"Are you coming?" Jack hollered after her over from the side staircase he was currently going down, with that she went following him down to the holding cells.

**-*-**  
  


It was awhile later before Jack had returned with Gwen back to the main Hub area. She looked a little peaky, couldn't blame her after looking at those Weevils they give me the creeps, but I could see she was now taking things in her stride one step at a time only that I knew that she'd soon be made to forget about this place and all of us. Which only raised another question for was how she would end up at Jack's death?

"Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper," I break away from my thoughts to hear Jack introducing her to Owen.

"Doctor Owen Harper, thank you," he corrected Jack rather smugly, I noticed him give her a glance of interest before returning to his paperwork knowing it shouldn't bother me because of the arrangement we had. So in doing so, I pushed that very thought to the recess of my mind and put some paperwork into a file.

"Toshiko Sato, computer genius," Tosh gives Gwen a nod, before looking back at her many computer screens, "Suzie Costello, she's second in command," she glanced up for a moment before he turned to where I stood beside Ianto, "This is Ianto Jones. Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time."

"I try my best," my best friend offered with a modest smile.

"And he looks good in a suit," Jack added with a flirtatious grin in his direction.

"Careful," Ianto returned with a smirk, as I rolled my eyes, "That's harassment, sir."

"And finally this is Paige Williams," he indicated to me before wandering towards his office.

"Williams?" she asked, looking in my direction, "Your not..."

"No relation to your boyfriend whatsoever," I interrupted hands up in surrender.

"Paige knows that because she's my superstar researcher and keeps everyone on their toes with the paperwork," Jack smirks over at me, from where I stood, "Not bad to look at either."

"I don't know whether to be offended or take that as a compliment, sir," I responded a little flirtatiously, something I knew that would rub Owen the wrong way.

"But why are you telling me their names?" Gwen questioned following after Jack ever so slightly, "I'm not supposed to know, am I. This is classified, isn't it?"

"Way beyond classified," Jack confirmed with a nod continuing back going towards his office, only to come to a stop when Gwen continued.

"Then you shouldn't be telling me. What are you going to do to me?"

"What do you imagine?" he replied.

"Well, I've seen too much," Gwen tries stating the obvious, "Your names and everything, and the Weevil," she turned to narrow her eyes at Tosh, "And you can dump a man in the water and lie about his death."

"Okay," Jack briefly stepped inside his office grabbing that greatcoat of his and slid it on, "Tosh, finish that calibration tomorrow morning. Owen, first thing, get a hold of Chandler and Bell, cos I think they're lying," he glanced in at the rest of us, "Ianto, if he needs back up, then you'd better be on stand by," he now looked to Suzie, "Suzie, I know it's a pain in the ass, but I need the costing on the glove research on Paige's desk first thing tomorrow morning," Jack moves through and approaches Gwen, "And as for you, you're coming with me. This way."

He headed towards the lift, expecting Gwen to follow in which she did, complaining ever so slightly as some of us began packing away, "I'm getting tired of following you."

"No, you're not, and you never will," Jack turned to face her with a smirk, as he stepped on the granite platform by the Water Tower, "Stand on here. Come on, next to me," he held out his hand to her, as she took it he helped her get on.

"Goodnight!" Tosh calls.

"Later!"

"Now, you came in through the front door. Let's take the scenic route," I see Jack press a few buttons on his wrist strap, as the ceiling opened from above. The platform moved, and Gwen quickly grabbed hold of Jack to keep steady. Suzie was giving a wave just as she leaves.

I wandered over towards where the pizza boxes are, "So I don't know about you, but I'm stealing Owen's pizza and going home to watch a shit film," I lift the lid of one box to find a pepperoni pizza and close it picking it up, "Will you be alright keeping an eye on everything while I'm gone," I come to rest a hand upon Ianto's shoulder and squeeze it, knowing he needed to stay a little while longer to check on Lisa and to monitor Gwen's electronics. We both knew it'd be a while before Jack would send her off home with retcon in her system.

"Unless you want to join me," I asked, not liking the thought of him being by himself.

"Nah, I'm fine thanks for offering though," he kindly declined my offer, "I let you guys know if anything happens. Now go I've got everything covered."

"Okay, well if your sure," I give my him a friendly peck on the cheek, "Bye Yan I'll see you tomorrow," going to grab my coat, bag and pizza in tow I took one last glance at him before leaving the Hub.


End file.
